The Priesthood

In my last post (here), I studied the restoration of the Priesthood, so now I would like to dive into the Priesthood itself in more detail. The Priesthood is the power of God delegated to man to act in His name.

Why is the Priesthood important?
The Priesthood is important because it is the authority required to perform saving ordinances that are required for exaltation, such as baptism. We know ordinances such as baptism are required for salvation because Jesus taught that we must be baptized to enter into the kingdom of God (see John 3:3-5). Remember, Jesus did not just go to anyone to be baptized, he sought out John because he had the Priesthood authority to baptize. Even Jesus had to be baptized because it is a commandment for all of us (see 2 Nephi 31:5), and so he needed to be baptized by the proper priesthood authority.

How is this Priesthood authority obtained?
While many people think that studying theology is enough to claim devine authority, the Bible teaches the exact opposite. In Hebrews 5:4 we read, "And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron." Ok, so we have to be called of God the way Aaron was; we don't take it upon ourselves, so how was Aaron called? We can read about how Aaron was called of God in the Old Testament:

Called of God, as was Aaron
Aaron was called to receive the Priesthood through one of God's servants who also had the Priesthood, in this case Moses, the prophet at that time. God said to Moses in Exodus 28:1: "And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons." The event is also recorded in Exodus 30:30 where the Lord tells Moses, "And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office."

How is the Priesthood given/received?
The Priesthood is given and received by the laying on of hands by someone who has the Priesthood authority. There are many examples of this throughout the scriptures and I will share a three here:

(1) Moses gave Joshua the priesthood by the laying on of hands in Numbers 27:18, "And the Lord said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him" - feel free to click the link and read the full context if you are unfamiliar with the story.

(2) When the Apostles met together to call new Apostles and give them authority, they also laid their hands upon them:

5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:
6 Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. (see Acts 6:6)

(3) Paul reminds Timothy of how he was given the Priesthood ordination by the laying on of hands in 1 Timothy 4:14, "Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery."

Recap: How do we get the priesthood?
We must (1) be called of God by one of his chosen servants and (2) receive the Priesthood from someone else who has the Priesthood, by the laying on of hands.

Painting depicting how the priesthood was conferred by Christ as recorded in the New Testament:

Restoration of the Priesthood

Why was a restoration necessary? 

In the words of Elder Nelson of the 12 Apostles: "Not long thereafter, the Savior was crucified. Even before the early Apostles completed their labors, the Apostasy began. It occurred, as prophesied, when teachings of men with priesthood keys were rejected and sacred ordinances were defiled."

The scriptures - especially the New Testament - are full of prophesies and evidence of a great apostasy, which occurred following the death of Jesus Christ and while his Apostles were being killed by non-believers. See Apostasy in The Guide to the Scriptures for specific references. When this apostasy occurred, priesthood authority was taken from the earth.

This priesthood authority cannot be obtained by studying the scriptures or by any means other than receiving it from someone who also has the Priesthood. The Bible teaches this in Hebrews 5:4 when Paul explains the Priesthood must be obtained the same way Aaron obtained it (which was from Moses by the laying on of hands). So with the priesthood authority being taken from the earth as a result of apostasy, ordinances such as baptism could no longer be performed by the necessary authority. A restoration was necessary.

When was the Priesthood restored?
The Aaronic priesthood was restored by John the Baptist - who had baptized Jesus Christ with this authority - to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery on May 15, 1829 (see D&C 13).


How was the Priesthood restored? 
As mentioned above John the Baptist was sent to Joseph and Oliver in answer to their prayer concerning the Priesthood authority and baptism. John restored the Priesthood to them by the laying on of hands, similar to how Aaron received the Priesthood from Moses in the Old Testament.

Later the Melchizedek Priesthood was similarly restored to Joseph and Oliver by the hands of Peter, James and John, who were Apostles of Jesus Christ in the New Testament.


What does this mean for me and my family?
Because the Priesthood has been restored in this dispensation, I have been blessed with the opportunity to bear and exercise this power. This allows me to serve others, especially my family, through the administration of blessings as well as sacred ordinances. The restoration of the Priesthood was also accompanied - though at a later date - by the restoration of the sealing keys. This has allowed me to be sealed to my wonderful wife and baby girl as an eternal family, sealed in heaven as it is on earth, through the same power that Jesus bestowed upon Peter in Matthew 16:18-19. The ordinances of salvation are again available to all, including me and my family because the proper authority (the Priesthood) has been restored to the earth!